Microsoft ditching 18,000 staff... and Android

As expected, Microsoft has just announced significant staff cuts, with 18,000 employees set to lose their jobs in the near future as part of a broad restructuring.

But that's not the only cut revealed by CEO Satya Nadella in an email to employees today. Microsoft is also seemingly calling time on Nokia's curious Android adventure.

It's an obvious move in reality, yet everything surrounding the Nokia X range until now has been so far from predictable the move almost comes as a surprise.

After all, Nokia only jumped on board the good ship Android in February, after pointedly ignoring the platform in favour of Windows Phone when the decision was taken to abandon Meego and Symbian three years earlier.

Oh, and after accepting a multi-billion dollar buyout offer from Microsoft in the meantime too.

Just last month came perhaps the biggest surprise of all: Microsoft, now full owners of the Nokia phone business, went down the Android route again with the second-generation Nokia X2 reboot.

But that was seemingly just about letting the product development cycle run full circle, as Nadella has all but confirmed we won't be seeing any further Android curve balls in the future.

He revealed that 12,500, or just over two thirds, of the staff cuts are related to the integration of the Nokia workforce into the wider Microsoft infrastructure, and that the majority of those affected will be told of their fate within the next six months.

Nadella added that Microsoft may keep the X series concept alive by incorporating “select” Nokia X designs as Lumia smartphones running Windows Phone, while Stephen Elop says the company will continue to support and sell the existing Android lineup for the immediate future.

That was pointless, indeed. Relaunching the N85 would've made more sense.

Heck, a Benny Hill revival instead.

But seriously: On Twitter today the reaction was just fabulous! The same people who have defended Elop for two years, who praised WP7 against all reason ... they were now p*ssed of
because their beloved NOKIA name will go... Under the pretense of showing solidarity with Nokia staff no less... Pfft. As if they care what slave kiddo makes their other gadgets.

businesses have got to run lean, always happens after a takeover, you will have 2 people doing the same job so unfortunately one has to go Yep...
I wasn't bemoaning the dirty deed... I was bemoaning the faux outrage. It was obvious....